Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have crushed the enemy, the devil, and all his forces. This is the great victory that You have given to Your church. Father, forgive us that we are, largely, unaware of the victory and the position that we enjoy as Your church. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
As we already know, these devout Jews were fully aware of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Acts 2:34-36 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (35) TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL.” ‘ (36) “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Peter is quoting Psalm 110.
Psalms 110:1-3 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” (2) The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (3) Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
David is speaking of how God has asked Christ to sit at His right hand, till He makes His enemies the footstool of Christ. This is the connection that Peter is establishing to the Jews of the identity of Jesus, the Christ, for whom they have been waiting.
Peter’s audience was also reminded that it was from this same prophesy that Jesus had challenged them earlier.
Matthew 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, (42) saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” (43) He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘LORD,’ saying: (44) ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL” ‘? (45) If David then calls Him ‘LORD,’ how is He his Son?” (46) And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
The Pharisees were quick to confirm that Christ was the Son of David. Then the Lord quoted this same Psalm and asked the religious leaders, “If David then calls Him ‘LORD,’ how is He his Son?”
The Pharisees were not able to answer Jesus this question. From that time on, no one dared to question Jesus anymore.
The Pharisees chose not to answer Jesus because He was presenting Himself to them as the Christ, who was the Son of David. If only, they had acknowledged and fallen at the feet of Jesus, in worship, their lives would have changed but their pride did not permit them to welcome the Master. So, as Peter brought up this matter again and presented Jesus to them as the Christ, because of His resurrection, they were caught in their own folly.
The enmity between God and the devil took place when the devil chose to rebel against God. God created man, with freedom of choice, to love and obey Him or to choose to obey the devil. Man chose to rebel against God and obey the devil. We, therefore, became subservient to the devil.
It is from here that God gave us victory over the devil by becoming man, having the nature of man. Jesus, as fully man, chose to obey the Father and not the devil. He thus overcame the devil. Jesus, as Son of man, could crush the devil under His feet.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Not only was the devil defeated by Jesus on the cross, the Lord has wrested back from the devil all that the devil had taken under his control. The nations have been taken back from the hands of the devil. This is the reason why the church is authorised by the Lord to ask of Him, the nations.
Psalms 2:8-12 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. (9) You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” (10) Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. (11) Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. (12) Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
When we see the tumult of the nations, we can understand, to some extent, the pain and anguish of God’s heart. The victory has been won over the devil on the cross. This is the victory that the church must exercise and exhibit over the devil and bring nations to the feet of Jesus. Since the church is restrained and unwilling to fulfil its task of victory over the nations, the Lord Himself will crush Satan under His feet.
Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.